Family of friends
by FutureFox
Summary: Everyone's thoughts through the end of the film about how their friendship has progressed.


Diego's POV

Diego lay there in the snow that he knew would soon cover him completely. The piercing pain in his side made him want to cry out but the screaming took too much out of him. His breathing was becoming more and more unsteady and thin.

He had forced Manny and Sid to go on without them despite their protests they finally left. He knew that they had to think of Pinky. Manny understood this more so than Sid. Of course that was most always the case. Diego chuckled at the thought of little Sid. In spite of himself he had grown to love him, to want to protect him. Like a little brother.

Then there was Manny. Someone who he had grown to respect. Respect. Weird Diego couldn't imagine how hard Manny's life must have been after losing his family. He was amazed that he had found the strength to go on. Diego thought about his jumbo friend as he felt the pain intensify.

Manny had no one until Sid, the baby, and he had come along. _'I guess we saved him, gave him something to live for.'_ Diego smiled at this fact, proud that his life had meant something.

_'I hope they can get through this. Manny's already lost so much. Sid doesn't really no about death and grief. Maybe this'll be too much.'_

Diego considered this Manny and Sid were his reason to live. _' I saved them twice I'll save them again.' _The snow almost had him buried now; he mustered up his strength and pulled himself into a standing position. Dizzily, he tried to get his breathing under control.

When he felt his feet start to fail him Sid's words rang through his mind, _"You're a tiger, you can lick this, come on Diego."_

He caught and balanced himself and was standing tall. He looked to the gray sky to see the sun trying to break free of its cloudy prison. Then he looked at the path ahead of him. _'They can't be too far, I can still find them.' _He carefully took a few steps and discovered if he took it slow his legs would not fail him. "Thanks Sid, thanks a lot buddy."

With that he began limping away towards the humans, towards his friends, towards his home.

Sid's POV 

Sid walked blindly, almost possessed along side Manny. He had never gone this far without complaining or at least without talking. But only Manny noticed this because only Manny was their now, to notice. Sid tried to get the image of his friend lying in the snow dying. Dying. Sid had never known death on such a personal level before. He was like a kid losing his older brother.

The baby cooed on top of Manny. Sid turned his eyes to the ground. He couldn't look at anyone right now. He knew that seeing Diego that close to leaving the world forever would haunt him for the rest of his life, maybe it would get easier but it would still be there in him. It would still scare him, and sadden him.

When he looked up he noticed Manny far ahead of him and raced to catch up. _'At least I still have Manny.'_

He knew they would be reaching the humans soon. Then the baby would have to go with his father. The baby would leave them too. _'Why is everyone leaving me? I can't be alone it's too hard.'_

"Manny?" "Yeah, Sid?" Sid thought about what to say, "the happiest time of my life has been with you and Pinky…and Diego. I just wanted you to know that. I'm really sad now."

Manny turned to him, "Yeah, me too." They stared for a moment then Manny turned and kept walking. Sid sighed and dejectedly followed. He started thinking about how his two powerful friends had protected him through thick and thin. They stayed with him when even his family ditched him. How can you possibly say what that means to you?

Sid felt tears stinging his eyes. His heart was weighing him to the ground. Then suddenly there they were the humans. We approached them. They had all turned away except for one man. He looked as sad as Sid felt. When the man caught a glimpse of the odd pair he grabbed his spear and threatened Manny with it. Manny was obviously not in the mood to deal with anything, let alone a human with a spear. So he forced the spear away from the man and left him defenseless.

The other people turned and began to run towards them. Sid was terrified but he made no move to leave. Manny revealed the baby to its father. The other humans stopped charging. Pinky walked to his dad.

Sid watched this with bittersweet feelings. He loved that baby. But he knew they couldn't keep it. So he composed himself, said his good-byes, and let him go. Sid couldn't take his eyes off of their little boy. "Bye, bye, bye." Suddenly he heard a voice behind him.

"Save your breath Sid you know humans can't talk." Sid's heart skipped 50 or 60 beats. He knew that voice. "Diego!" He turned to see his friend standing before him and he knew everything would be all right.

Manny's POV 

Manny was leading Sid making sure the sloth was close behind. Pinky was on his back. He didn't know if he could ever forgive himself for leaving his friend behind. Leaving Diego to die. _'How could I let this happen again? I let my family die now I let one of my closest friends share their fate. I never thought I could even make a friend.'_

Manny smiled a little. How did he let those two knuckleheads get into his heart? He didn't know. All he knew was that he was supposed to protect them, and Diego had lost his life protecting him. "This is wrong," he whispered to himself. The guilt he felt was overpowering. He thought of the tiger buried in the snow by now. He remembered how difficult his breathing had been before he, Sid, and the baby had finally left him.

Now they were almost to the humans. _'You'll be home soon squirt.'_ He felt the baby nuzzle against him. He sighed. This little baby had done a lot for them. For all of them without even realizing it. Manny's faint smile faded as his thoughts drifted back to the previous tragedy.

Manny had heard Diego snap. He saw him fall. He knew he was dying. It had all happened so fast. Sid's voice broke his thoughts. "Manny?" "Yeah, Sid?" His response was instant, a little quicker than he would have liked. He listened to Sid's words they rang so true.

He turned to face the little sloth and all he could say was, "me too." He turned and kept walking. He couldn't let these feelings take over. He had to get this kid back to his family. Then out of nowhere he saw them. The baby's father soon realized that he had his little boy. Painfully he let Pinky go.

Lost in the child's face Sid's voice broke the spell. "That's right, where's the baby?" Manny wasn't in the mood to hear these words quite yet. "Come on Sid let's head south." Manny turned to see a ghost coming over the hill. The ghost of Diego. But he didn't seem like a ghost. Could it be? Is it really?

Diego was alive!

Authors Note: My first attempt at Ice Age. Be kind please. R&R.


End file.
